The protection of the rights of migrant workers for a better extension of social protection in Africa

About thirty participants, including ten women from affiliated organizations to ITUC-Africa, civil society organizations, representatives of LO / FTF, ILO and ECOWAS in charge of migration and FES Tunisia took part to a regional workshop on the protection of the rights of migrant and domestic workers, informal economy workers and the extension of social protection held from 31 July to 02 August 2017, at Céline Hôtel in the Republic of Benin.

This workshop, jointly organized by ITUC-Africa, the FGTB and LO-FTF programs, enabled the participants to talk about issues related to social protection, the informal economy and migration. It also provided an opportunity for participants to take stock of recommendations 204 and 202, to learn about the FGTB partner’s program and the level of debate on the new instrument and to adopt common positions for its implementation.

Topics covered were on migration, the ratification of conventions, the consultation process of the Global Compact, social protection of migrant workers; The General Social Security Convention of the ECOWAS and the mechanism of the social protection of the migrant workers in the space of ECOWAS. They have helped strengthen the capacity of ITUC-Africa’s affiliates to act on the protection of workers’ rights for better working conditions and decent living conditions for all.

At the end of the workshop, some recommendations were made.
These include:

The designation in every country of one representative per national center to form the trade union committee on labor migration that will be coordinated by the focal point.

Sensitizing trade union organizations on the existence of an ECOWAS tripartite dialogue with the technical support of the ITUC-Africa.

The setup of a training framework for trainers in social protection with the ILO West Africa.

I write on behalf of the African Regional Organization of the International Trade Union
Confederation (ITUC-Africa www.ituc-africa.org) representing over 17 million workers in 52 African countries to protest the arrest and detention of trade union leaders of the Sierra Leone Labour Congress (...)